Letter: Immigrants tied to nation’s history of greatness

When my father emigrated to America from Norway in 1927, Norway was an impoverished country. He was only 8 years old and suffered from malnutrition, which caused his legs to be bowed. When he arrived with my grandmother at Ellis Island, he only knew two English words: “hello” and “goodbye.” Instead of being enrolled in fourth grade, he was sent back to first grade.

Within one year he learned English well enough to be placed in the fifth grade. He later graduated near the top of his class at a large technical high school and went on to study electrical engineering and linguistics. While he never became wealthy, he definitely made a contribution to this country and was buried at Dayton National Cemetery with full military honors.

Norway is now a prosperous country with universal health care, and there is no reason for most Norwegians to leave. However, when I look into the faces of many immigrants to the United States who come from poor countries today, I see my father’s face. Sure, the skin color might be different, but there is that same look of determination to succeed that helps to make America the great country it is.

This story was originally published January 25, 2018 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Letter: Immigrants tied to nation’s history of greatness."